All posts by Greg David

Prior to becoming a television critic and owner of TV, Eh?, Greg David was a critic for TV Guide Canada, the country's most trusted source for TV news. He has interviewed television actors, actresses and behind-the-scenes folks from hundreds of television series from Canada, the U.S. and internationally. He is a podcaster, public speaker, weekly radio guest and educator, and past member of the Television Critics Association.
Industry News

Employable Me to premiere in Canada on AMI-tv on August 11

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From a media release:

Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) announced today that it will air the Canadian edition of Employable Me, a moving documentary series featuring job seekers who are determined to show that having a physical disability or neurological condition shouldn’t make them unemployable.

Produced by Thomas Howe Associates Inc. (THA), the six-part series provides an honest and emotional look at the challenges that individuals of varying abilities face in the job market. Each one-hour episode features two job seekers living with vision loss or a neurological condition such as Tourette Syndrome, Asperger Syndrome, Down Syndrome or ADHD.

Throughout the series the cast will focus on their strengths and explore their inherent talents with the help of experts in the medical and employment fields. The journey isn’t always easy but each individual is determined to overcome their challenges, help change employers’ perceptions and land a coveted job that they’re passionate about.

In order to be accessible for individuals living with vision loss, Employable Me features Integrated Described Video, where description is incorporated during the production phase, eliminating the need for a secondary audio track.

Employable Me is produced by THA in partnership with AMI and TVO, and is licensed by all3media international.

The series will air on AMI-tv with back to back episodes on August 11, 18 and 25 at 9 and 10 p.m. ET and PT. The full series will be re-broadcast on September 3 from 3 to 9 p.m. Full episodes of Employable Me will be available online at ami.ca.

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Dark Matter, Featured

Dark Matter: A familiar face returns to wreak havoc on the Raza crew

Season 3 of Dark Matter is just getting better. Not only has The Android gotten some key scenes to play in and out of costume but last week’s episode expanded Adrian Maro into a fully-fleshed character we care about … and laugh at. And with Ferrous Corps’ fleet already departed, things don’t look good for the crew of the Raza, or anyone really.

It’s hard to believe we’ve already arrived at Episode 6 of this season, but rather than get down, let’s talk about “One More Card to Play,” written by Alison Hepburn and directed by Gail Harvey. Here is Space’s official synopsis:

Familiar faces from the past return, causing havoc and forcing our crew to scramble to save their already damaged reputations.

And here are some fun tidbits we gleaned from watching a screener.

Ryo is on the warpath
I certainly understand his anger—there was an assassination attempt on his life after all—but is targeting the man accused and his family focusing on the right person or people? And just who are those two clan members who don’t seem to fit in with the rest of the group?

In sci-fi TV, you never know who may return …
We’re not giving anything away that will ruin the surprise, though perhaps the producers should have kept someone’s name out of the opening credits.

… and don’t accept everything you see as fact
We were mighty confused by some of the decisions made by our heroes until midway through the episode. The payoff is worth it.

Dark Matter airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Space.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Featured, Killjoys

Viktoria Modesta lands killer guest-starring role on Killjoys

Viktoria Modesta makes an immediate impact in her guest appearance in Friday’s new episode of Killjoys. Her jet-black hair and up-to-here boots are a contrast to the stark white of her surroundings … and her secret could be deadly to Johnny.

Modesta, an artist, fashion designer, DJ, performer, singer and actor, was specifically chosen by Killjoys‘ creator Michelle Lovretta to embody the role of Niko, a Hackmod surgeon who pulls Johnny into her world. We spoke to Modesta during a break in production on Episode 2 to get her take on Niko and Killjoys‘ Hackmod storyline. Friday’s new instalment, “A Skinner, Darkly,” also gets the to bottom of where Clara is, puts Dutch and D’avin in more peril and features Modesta’s single, “Prototype,” in a key scene.

How did you get involved in Killjoys in the first place?
Viktoria Modesta: The Killjoys team contacted me. I haven’t concentrated on acting very much. My music and my weird tech/fashion stuff have been preoccupying me. I wasn’t sure if this was something that I wanted to do but I spoke to Michelle [Lovretta] and she explained to me that a lot of influences in the show sort of came from my work. I was really flattered and thought that was amazing. I did my first audition tape and it was awesome.

This storyline features Hackmods in a big way. Describe them.
I think they’re super bad-ass. I think there will be a lot of action that people haven’t seen on screen very much. There isn’t a lot of CGI, these are actors with actual body modifications, which is great. I haven’t seen that, personally, happen on TV before. That’s a massive, standout point for me; it’s really brilliant. I’ve been on some recent panels in L.A. about disability in Hollywood and it’s a really big topic.

Sci-fi is such an inclusive genre. It doesn’t matter what you look like or what your sexual preference is. Everyone is welcome.
One of the other angles for the casting of this show is the Hackmods are actual amputees or have body modifications, but it’s also really bold to get me on the show pretty much because of what I’m like in my performance life—costumes, etc.—I’m coming in as a real-life character. I’m just stepping onto the set with a different script and that’s amazing and brave to do that. The sci-fi genre, and dressing up in costumes in general, is liberating. In my life, getting into fashion, art and performance has helped me freely explore who I want to be. It’s really fantastic. I dedicate my life to the world of fantasy.

What can you tell me about Niko, your character?
Not too much, other than the fact she’s a scientist and is involved in this complicated emotional dilemma story. We never really know what side she’s really on. The great thing about Niko is that she displays a full range of human qualities. She is a pretty well-rounded person and, again, it feels natural to my own persona where it’s a nice balance of being sensitive and fragile, but also embracing your sexuality and your strength.

Killjoys airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Space.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.

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Wynonna Earp

Link: Wynonna Earp’s Kate Drummond previews Lucado’s breaking point

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: Wynonna Earp’s Kate Drummond previews Lucado’s breaking point
“I think there’s always a breaking point where a person will lose their cool and without giving anything away, Lucado hits her breaking point. When you act out of desperation your filters are down, and you maybe don’t make the best decisions which often results in really complicated situations happening.” Continue reading.

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Featured, Private Eyes

Private Eyes: Mark Ghanimé guests as a key to Angie’s past

Fans of Mark Ghanimé rejoice! The Canadian actor who was a hero on Helix and a victim on Slasher is back in primetime in Thursday’s new episode of Private Eyes.

As Jason Priestley and Cindy Sampson told us exclusively a few weeks ago, Ghanimé and fellow guest star Bree Williamson serve as romantic foils for Shade and Angie through Season 2, adding a level of complexity to the pair’s business relationship. We got our first peek at Williamson’s Melanie Parker last week when she and Shade got smoochy. Here’s what Global says about Thursday’s episode, “Between a Doc and a Hard Place,” written by Jackie May and directed by Kelly Makin:

After a series of break-ins, Angie and Shade are hired to find out who’s targeting a pro bono medical clinic in Danforth Village. Their first surprising discovery? The clinic’s Dr. Ken Graham also happens to be Angie’s ex-fiancé. Despite his blossoming relationship with lawyer Mel, Shade is laser-focused on proving that the handsome, humanitarian, multi-lingual, guitar-playing, motorcycle-riding Dr. Ken isn’t all he’s cracked up to be. But even he isn’t ready for the surprise he discovers.

And, as always, a few tidbits from us after watching a screener.

Longtime love for Shade?
Seems as though Shade and Melanie have gotten quite serious. At least, last week’s hookup certainly wasn’t a one-time thing. But is it a season-long relationship or more of a fling?

Maz is back!
We’ve missed Ennis Esmer’s memorable, lovelorn character. Luckily, this week’s case means involvement from the detective, who takes pleasure in the uncomfortableness between Dr. Ken and Angie.

Who is Ken, and what happened between he and Angie?
The guy is super-smart, good-looking and has an impressive resumé, so why didn’t he and Angie work out? Prepare to learn all.

Bitten actor drops by
Mark Ghanimé isn’t the only new face in Thursday’s storyline. Tommie-Amber Pirie appears too, just days before her second Killjoys episode on Friday night. Small world, this Canadian TV industry.

Private Eyes airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global.

Images courtesy of Corus.

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